Apple has confirmed that iPhone users in the US will shortly be able to add their passports to Apple Wallet.
Apple has been working on making iPhone replace drivers' licences and passports for at least seven years, and has filed patents covering the technology needed. Now with a single change to the wording on its website, Apple has confirmed that the launch is imminent.
As first spotted by MacRumors, the wording change is in a footnote on the page about iOS 26 features. It used to say that US passports would be available after a software update, with no further details or timescale.
Now it says "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only." There's no more specific timescale, but with only the last quarter of the year left at time of writing, the support must come soon.
It also must presumably come with an update to iOS 26. However, Apple has dropped all mention of software updates from the page.
Updates to iOS 26 have already begun to appear in developer beta versions. As yet, though, there is no sign of passport support.
There are already digital elements to modern passports, but based on Apple's previously published patent applications, the company is working to make the iPhone implementation more secure. So those patent applications detail confirming a user's ID through biometric authentication.
The addition of passports follows Apple's inclusion of digital drivers' licences in iOS. This has been slowly rolling out as states starting with Arizona and Georgia began supporting it. When passports are added, though, they will presumably be supported nationwide.
